FIXES

Wooden sign on suburban shopping street reminds children not to play on the staircase. It’s dangerous.

Materials: Wooden Board, Marker
Location: Kunitachi, Tokyo

This sign in Shibuya station illustrates how station employees have ‘fixed’ ticket gate signage at the request of users.

In this case, existing signage left passengers unclear as to whether the station could be exited from the ticket gate. This was fixed by installing two signs pointing to well known exits/meeting spots.

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Maintenance times; No smoking!; Be careful if you’re wearing sandals!; Hold the handrail!; and of course – No Walking! No Running! – just stand still…..don’t move…..

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Nagoya

Hand made map showing shops and attractions in the center of Nagoya’s shopping district, Sakae.

Various fonts, paper, and hand written annotations, along with fading, wear and tear evoke the temporality of commerce.

I wonder what rules and regulations hold for the those allowed to add to the sign. What are the penalties for unauthorised editing?

Materials: Paper, Marker, Laminator
Location: Nagoya, Sakae

Trolley underbelly provides space for instructions on its own use – in this case, for use only within the rubbish center area.

Materials: Marker
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Series of instructions regarding the disposal of paper and cardboard. Green laminated sign reads ‘paper’, hand written sign instructs residents to secure bundles of cardboard with string, typed sign notes instructions from the city.

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Instructions on the disposal of glass bottles/jars – take the lid of first. Note emphasis over ‘lid’, cute portrait, and signature from the ‘Clean Trio’ who take care of the rubbish/recyling center.

Materials: Paper
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Overview of can, glass bottle and plastic bottle recycling station. Full crates form structure and support for empty.
Cheerful handmade sign providing instruction on the correct way to recycle plastic bottles.

Materials: Plastic Crates, Coat Hanger
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Cheerful hand made signs instructing residents to (1) flatten plastic bottles and (2) remove the cap and label from plastic bottles before placing them in the recycling sack.

Materials: Paper, Pegs, Coat hanger
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Non-burnable rubbish sign and instructions.
How do the axillary instructions get proposed, formulated and approved? What is the flow of information? Who are the stakeholders and what do they value? What is given priority?

Materials: Laminated A4
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “”Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Very direct way of letting local pet owners know how the doings of their dogs are viewed by residents of a small apartment complex.

Cute dog sign adds the finishing touch.

Materials: Board, Marker
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Hand made sign notifying public toilet users of a shift in the toilet paper dispenser.
I love how the draft in pencil bears no relation to the final copy written in marker.

Materials: Marker, Paper
Location: Nagoya

Easel legs thread through bricks for stabilization of a entrance menu.

Materials: Bricks
Location: Nagoya

Painted wood scraps form signage for a coffee house in central Nagoya.

Materials: Paint, Wood Scraps
Location: Nagoya

Watch out for burglars! This frugal signage warns residents of ambient dangers.

Materials: Laminated Paper, Duct Tape
Location: Nagoya

Signage for a local kindgarten play-day makes use of a bush in a local park.

Materials: Laminated Paper, Plastic Twine, Tree
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Railing at the entrance to a below ground level restaurant transformed into an oversize menu/promotion board with extensive use of tape and laminated paper.

Materials: Laminated Paper, Railing, Tape
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

Traffic signage put to a different traffic related use with the help of marker and paper.

Materials: Paper, Marker
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Narrow frontage and cluttered streets combined with a fast-pasted real estate sector call for flexible, cheap and prominent signage on Shibuya streets. This one combines laminated paper attached to a horizontal signpost and secured with wire and duct tape.

Materials: Laminated Paper, Wire, Duct Tape
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

Laminated A2 signage with a backing of cardboard box displays six levels of information on the alley/service gate to the main building. Another layer of MS Office default text added to the already cramped Shibuya street.

The (off center) cut-out for the door handle maintains the practical use of the gate while rendering the QR code unreadable.

Materials: Cardboard Box, Laminated Paper
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo